Great looking revolver !!!!!

Keep us updated on your revolver !

 

Nice lookin' revolver! You may recall that I mentioned in a related post that the Taurus 65 was a very strong contender in my quest for a 2nd revolver. I like the clean lines of the 65 but I do like the adjustable sight on my 66.
I too, like "that Taurus did not rollmark any big logos on the sides of the barrel" my 66 is like that also. I'm a bit surprised that nowhere on my 66 (and I believe the 65) is there an indication of the caliber or type of ammunition that the firearm uses.
Your positive feelings about the grips and the trigger will definitely be shown to be valid on your first range trip. Taurus does make a nice affordable revolver!

We'll all be looking forward to your range report.
Flex

 

Flex,

On my new 65 and on my Rossi 971 both, the caliber is stamped on the underside of the barrel.

 

I now see that my 66 does too. Don't know how I missed that!
Flex

 

Here are some further observations regarding my new 65:

Size: I presumed before making the purchase that the Taurus 65 was similar in size to a Smith & Wesson K-Frame. Upon receiving it I see that it is actually a little bit larger. I have a Colt King Cobra, and the 65 frame is very close to that of the Colt. A lot of the "extra" is at the front of the frame where the barrel threads in, which, of course, is a very good thing as it makes the barrel/frame joint stronger. I also noticed that the frame behind the cylinder seems to be a little longer as well, as when I take a firing grip on the 65 (which, for me, includes curling my thumb down), my thumb no longer extends into interference with my trigger finger pulling the trigger. On my Rossi 971 and my S&W Model 10 I have to take a grip where my strong hand thumb is high and curls away from the frame to prevent interference. Curiously, though, the cylinder seems to be very close in size to that of the 971 and the Model 10 - enough so that speedloaders for a Model 10 work for the 65.

Grip: The grip is great! It allows for a secure grasp, and it provides plenty of room for speedloader use. Both the HKS 10 and the Safariland Comp II for a Model 10 work fine without interference with the grip. The grip also permits a very high grip, with the web between my index finger and thumb riding right up to the top of the recoil shoulder. On my Rossi 971 the grip was molded with a pointed projection just below the recoil shoulder, and I finally re-shaped the back side of the grip to get rid of that.

Finish: The matte stainless is very attractive, although a little more polish would be even better. But I understand that polish takes time, and time is money. But anyway, I really like revolvers in stainless. but then, I also like revolvers in highly polished blue, and I would not have been happy with the current black oxide finish applied to the recent carbon steel Taurus revolvers.

Sights: The rear sight is TINY, and the front sight needs a coat of orange paint on the ramp (Which matter is about to be attended to!).

Holster: The 65 can fit into a Triple-K Carrylight holster for a S&W Model 10, but it's tight. I also have a Carrylight for a S&W L-frame, but the 65 seems a little loose in that. I have a Galco Wheelgunner, though, and it works for my Model 10 and Rossi 971, and the Taurus 65 fits it like a glove.

 

Here are some further observations regarding my new 65:

Size: I presumed before making the purchase that the Taurus 65 was similar in size to a Smith & Wesson K-Frame. Upon receiving it I see that it is actually a little bit larger.

Grip: The grip is great! It allows for a secure grasp, and it provides plenty of room for speedloader use. Both the HKS 10 and the Safariland Comp II for a Model 10 work fine without interference with the grip.

Finish: The matte stainless is very attractive, although a little more polish would be even better. But I understand that polish takes time, and time is money. But anyway, I really like revolvers in stainless. but then, I also like revolvers in highly polished blue, and I would not have been happy with the current black oxide finish applied to the recent carbon steel Taurus revolvers.

Sights: The rear sight is TINY, and the front sight needs a coat of orange paint on the ramp (Which matter is about to be attended to!).

I think that many believe that the Taurus 65/66 models are clones of the S&W K-framed revolvers. Taurus bills them as "medium frame", but I've seen them called med/large framed and even some that call them an "L" frame. Bottom line, as you mention above, is that the 65/66 series runs more than a bit larger than the K-framed S&Ws that they are supposedly clones of. This does become a concern when holster selection is considered. Otherwise, I'm fine with them being bigger.

The stock grip is more than adequate but I'll admit to being intrigued by the Hogue Mono-Grip. The reviews are wide ranging and I'm concerned about how my speed loader will work. With the stock grips, the 7-shot HKS speed loader (587-A) does work but not as smooth as the 6-shot HKS 10-A does in my EAA Windicator. If the stock grip were any wider, I don't think that the speed loader would work.

I really like the satin/matte SS finish too. I've seen that some have polished them to a shine but that would be a lot of work and don't necessarily see the benefit especially if I don't like the results.

The TINY fixed sites on many revolvers is one of the reasons I went with the 66. The "orange" insert on the front sight is nothing to write home about and I too, am planning add some additional color to the front blade.

As many, if not most (on this site at least) will agree, the Taurus line of revolvers has a solid reputation for quality and reliability at an affordable price.
Flex

 

That's a really nice gun. My state doesn't approve taurus handguns for sale so I can only look longingly. I find it interesting that the taurus 65 is a fixed sight 357 and 66 is an adjustable sight 357 and the s&w 65 and 66 are the same.


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I find it interesting that the taurus 65 is a fixed sight 357 and 66 is an adjustable sight 357 and the s&w 65 and 66 are the same.

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At one time Taurus and S&W were under the same ownership. Designs and manufacturing were shared to a certain degree. Others in the group may want to add more specifics.

 

OP you mention the date trigger pull is nice. I have several taurus revolvers some older and some newer ones and all have very smooth triggers. I hope you enjoy your new 65

 

Sweet -- congrats. Carry safely!

 

Well, my Model 65 is no longer a virgin! I went to the range yesterday morning and tried her out with good results.

The weather was pretty cold - upper 20s F, and cloudy, threatening snow. This was our first cold snap of the year to any extent, so not yet being acclimated yet it felt colder than it normally would have.

Ammo that I shot through the 65 was Hornady "American Gunner" .357 Magnum 125 grain XTP. I had gone out the night before looking for some 158 grain ammo but couldn't find any. Anyway, the Hornady stuff seemed pretty hot, with published figures on the box of 1500 fps at the muzzle, 1314 fps at 50 yards, and 1166 fps at 100 yards.

All shooting was done at about 7 yards, and all in Double Action. My first group of 6 rounds centered up about 8" below the POA and was about 4" in diameter and the second group stacked right on top of the first. Windage looked good - a little left but not too bad.

I then switched to my Rossi 97104 and fired a few cylinder-fulls of .38 Special.

Went back to the Model 65 again with more of the Hornady ammo, this time paying a little more attention to my grip, and was grouping about 3-1/2" in diameter and about 3" to 4" low.

By that time my fingers were getting pretty cold, so I decided to pack up and go home to clean revolvers.

General Impressions: It seemed that the trigger pull has lost a lot of its initial grittiness already (I've been dry-firing with snap caps a lot), and is much lighter than that of the Rossi. I had the impression that it is about like my Colt King Cobra, although the King Cobra "stacks" a bit more. You can still feel that there is a whole lot going on under the side plate still. I'd have to rate the trigger pull as very good and getting better.

Ammo: That Hornady ammo certainly felt hot, producing a good amount of muzzle flip, and a big flash out of the barrel/cylinder gap. It was VERY DIRTY, too. There were some deposits where it mixed with oil (that is still seeping out of the revolver here and there) and produced a black inky puddle. I actually had to break out a bronze G.I. toothbrush to scrub the deposits out of the space between the forcing cone and the top of the frame. I used Ballistol to clean it.

Next steps:

I probably won't shoot it any more until after New Years. By then I'll be a "free man" (retiring on December 31) and I asked for some gift certificates to one of the big box sporting goods stores for Christmas and for a retirement gift from my company. I'll try to pick up some more selections of ammo, and hope that some 158 grain stuff might hit a bit higher, closer to POI.

I also want to work up some ".38 Special velocity" loads for .357 cases - I have a good supply of 158 grain cast lead semi-wadcutters and a mostly-full jug of Unique - as I really don't want to go over 1000 fps so as to cut down on leading. Thinking about something like 5 to 5-1/2 grains of Unique to start. I want to stay with .357 Magnum cases to cut down on the "bathtub ring" from shooting .38 Special loads in .357 magnum chambers.

I just cleared my reloading bench for action, so I can break out my dies and my chronograph and start getting down to business.

Does anybody have a pet .357 Magnum load that will give me around 800 or 900 fps or so with 158 grain cast bullets?

 

Congrats on your new wheel gun.

 

Just as i got home from the FFL a friend of mine texted me, so I sent him the pics of the 65 too. Now this guy is so gun-happy that when his son was born he wanted to name him him Colton.


Congratulations on your purchase of the 65. Beautiful.

I love the name COLTON. One of my Great Grandsons is named COLTON.

 

Do I need this Taurus 65? It's not brand new, but I just found it at my local dealer today. Seems like a decent price. I already have about 17 Taurus revolvers already, but not a 65. Serial number says it was made in 2015 and the model is 65B4. I'm thinking I do need it, since I don't have one of these in my collection yet, but why is the 65 special and/or desired above other .357's? And how is it different from the 66? ( I have 2 608's and 2 617's, but none of them of identical).

 

Do I need this Taurus 65? It's not brand new, but I just found it at my local dealer today. Seems like a decent price. I already have about 17 Taurus revolvers already, but not a 65. Serial number says it was made in 2015 and the model is 65B4. I'm thinking I do need it, since I don't have one of these in my collection yet, but why is the 65 special and/or desired above other .357's? And how is it different from the 66? ( I have 2 608's and 2 617's, but none of them of identical).

Yes, I think you need it since you don't have one in your collection.

 

I've had a blue 65 for over a decade, and I bought it used.
It is my truck console gun now, it used to be my lunch box gun when I worked in a "shady" area of the nearby Big City.

I really like it, fit and finish is excellent. Trigger is smooth.
Compared to my two S&W 38 Specials it leaves nothing to be desired.

Every revolver fan should own a 65.

 

Nice piece...Enjoy.